#880899 by pjh
21 Aug 2014, 23:37
I'd intended to do a short preamble "What We Did On Our Holidays" but find it easier to point to the TR from 2 years ago

http://v-flyer.com/forum/index.php?f=6& ... ic#p820339

as we did exactly the same. Not very adventurous, but thr right thing at the right time.

It's only worth adding that;

- it was like a reunion, as there were several families and couples there this time who were there two years back
- the staff recognised us (well, MrsPJH's hair) and we were addressed by name throughout, with our favourite wine and rum (El Dorado 12 Yr Old, since you ask) presented without asking
- if I were running a leisure hotel here I'd steal the staff wholesale
- the A330 is not well liked
- the piano man did a cracking version of Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is"
- we'll watch the Tripadvisor reviews with interest, as the new majority shareholder was in grilling all the staff, clearly looking for ways to increase the return on his investment

All good things have to end, and soon enough I was fingers poised at T-24hrs to complete OLCI. Given that the flight was a double pick up originating in Grenada, with an earlier flight time and presumably earlier OLCI time, I had my chances of SEQ 1 and 2 low and so it proved, but I still managed SEQ 8 and 9.

It being a late flight and having been given use of our room until the scheduled car time, the final day was a pretty full one on the beach. As it turned out, we could have had longer on the beach as the car turned up half an hour late after a couple of calls were made to the VH rep by reception on our behalf. As it turned out, it wasn't the original booking at all, but a replacement who breezily asserted "there's a cruise ship in...your driver will have decided to go there." Ah, well, I fully understand....

Check in had been quick and easy, though there was a misunderstanding at the desk when the agent conversationally asked "From the north?" and I replied "Yes, we used to live in Manchester." I was just about to follow up with "How did you know?" when MrsPJH quietly pointed out that they meant the north of the island....

To be honest, the less time spent in the airport the better. 5 minutes is enough to shop for rum (USD8 a litre for the local offering) and the lounge is pretty basic, though there is food and the service is good and smiley. It got quite crowded as there was a BA flight due a little later than our flight, and our flight was half an hour late (I wondered whether the big notice on the check in desk about claiming compensation under EU rules was a harbinger of things to come) so we were there longer than planned. This meant we had to witness the emotional abuse (not to strong a word) that the man in the next seat was handing out to his daughter of about six. Nothing came out of his mouth that wasn't a criticism, and she wasn't doing anything wrong, she was just sat there eating a plate of fruit and looking at some pictures of the holiday. .

One interesting scene played out where an airport official came in and escorted a couple of young men, one of whom looked a lot like early 1970's Cat Stevens, out to their aircraft. Must be important, MrsPJH observed.

Called out into a tropical downpour, we boarded by the steps at the front and took 3K and 4K....to find ourselves opposite the Cat Stevens look alike. Now this rather unassuming young man - no sense of self importance - was hugged by the aircraft agent as they left with signed off papers, conversed with throughout by the crew and given big hugs and what appeared to be a plate of sandwiches covered in tin foil as he left the aircraft. I couldn't figure it out, but as I say no sense of DYKWIA (if anything the opposite) but presumably someone known. Somebody approached him to switch seats, and he was quite happy to do so, but the person doing the asking decided it was less important when Cat pointed out his seat mechanism was a bit iffy and could only be hand cranked.

Unlike on the outbound leg, the menus were present and correct - as was, in my pocket, the menu we should have had on the outbound flight. No mention of quiche.

Champagne was offered out in a flute, and refills were offered. Round then with drinks orders, and addressed very precisely by name, which continued throughout the flight. I went for the Gentleman Jack, which pitched up with a small bowl of savoury banana chips (breadfruit, we had discovered, also makes a fine potato crisp substitute). A refill was offered and gratefully accepted.

I don't think it will surprise anyone that the food offering was beef, chicken or a vegetarian option. Not being able to face another slab of meat I went for the spinach and ricotta cannelloni, which was...fine. It didn't however go with the Malbec, which I put down to my taste buds having been overly sweetened in the previous eleven days.This may have been borne out by my reaction to the coconut tart dessert, which tasted just right, but to any normal person probably tasted like sugar with extra sugar.

We ate together again - the only people to do so save for the family who had done the same on the outbound- and afterwards I snuck off to change into my 100% cotton PJs. These seemed to have come from two different sets, as they were definitely different shades and the lower half seemed to be compelled to go for displaying of (look away ladies) the cheek crack. With the threat of such a display I switched the seat into bed mode - Hendrix style, behind my back - and then covered up with the duvet. Not sure why I bothered as in the next instant a chap further down to cabin was down to his Y Fronts and socks before donning the PJ trousers. Have these people no shame? Or do they believe that their hairy nethers are somehow attractive or even tolerable?

To clear this image from my mind I sought refuge in "The Lego Movie", which proved wonderful on a number of levels.The child in you could be amazed at the animation, and the grown up(s) at the pop culture references and the message about being different.

At one point I woke up convinced that someone had nudged me. Querying MrsPJH later she said it wasn't her and she hadn't heard me snoring, but I can't help but think that a passing crew member had "accidentally" given me a poke on the basis of serving the greater good.

A later nudge had me wake for the breakfast I'd ordered. Which I immediately wished I hadn't. Having become accustomed to severely singed pig flesh over the past couple of weeks, the flabby, fatty, offering that was put in front of me still makes me quite queasy.

Throwing a veil or at least a napkin over the awful breakfast offering, we were off the aircraft very quickly when in Gatwick (no PE sneaking through), though the electronic gates, a five minute wait at the baggage carousel and through to find our taxi driver just arriving to greet us.

Bacon butty excepted, a very enjoyable trip. Now, where next?

Edited to change originating airport / insert some line breaks / correct spelling (it has been a "late night" :w )
Last edited by pjh on 22 Aug 2014, 08:13, edited 2 times in total.
#880919 by HWVlover
22 Aug 2014, 10:23
Excellent report Paul, thank you. Not too sure what it is doing in "Other Trip Reports" however!

I rather like the DYKWIA who wasn't, rather stylish!

However, could the trip report not have had a warning about "the cheek crack" as I nearly choked on my coffee.
:0
#880921 by pjh
22 Aug 2014, 11:06
HWVlover wrote:Excellent report Paul, thank you. Not too sure what it is doing in "Other Trip Reports" however!


No problem.

VS091 doesn't exist in the drop down list of VS flights provided when using the Virgin Trip reports section.

HWVlover wrote:I rather like the DYKWIA who wasn't, rather stylish!


On reflection I wonder whether he was a relative of the VS crew member killed in a road traffic accident in early August and was accompanying the body home. The post mortem had been completed on the Monday.

HWVlover wrote:However, could the trip report not have had a warning about "the cheek crack" as I nearly choked on my coffee.
:0


An entirely understandable response.
#880984 by marshy11
23 Aug 2014, 09:50
Love it. ^) ^) ^)
Virgin Atlantic

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